Wednesday, March 17, 2010

MY 25 CENTAVO’S WORTH

I took the express elevator on our office building to reach our floor faster. The first stop of the elevator is on the 15th and we're on the 14th so I have to take the stairs. While I was on the stairs, I chanced upon this 25 centavos on one of its steps.

I took it and put inside my pocket. Napaisip ako at oo, nag-emo emo ako dahil sa baryang yun. Wala na bang halaga ang bent'singko sa mga madlang people ngayon at parang itinatapon na lang? I have this perspective that every penny counts. It means a lot for me especially when I think of our situation during my childhood years.

We also tried having tuyo as our dish for a month. At dahil medyo maarte ako, pinagdidiskitahan ko na lang yung Milo na ulamin. I know medyo mapalad na kami na nag-uulam ng tuyo kesa naman sa wala. I always imagined of hotdogs and pork and beans that time. I thought that those processed foods will be enough for me to live until I grow old. Di ako magsasawang ulamin sila.

Come kindergarten years, I only have a piso as my baon. Although that was around 1993, yung piso na yun eh sapat na para bumili ng zoom-zoom o kaya cheez-um o dalawang cheese hotdog na chichirya para pantawid gutom. Medyo may kamahalan na sila ngayon. During those times, we used to walk more than a kilometer going to school and we have to do that once in the morning, twice during noontime because we go home for lunch and another flight in the afternoon. I was so dark. We have to brave the scorching heat of the sun because we can't afford a 2 peso fare for a jeep ride.